Chapter 67: CONNECTION 2

Soon we were at the gates of Eden.

It was Massive. Intimidating. And not in a fancy, prestigious way, like some elite boarding school with ivy-covered walls. This was different. Looks old and odd.

I had my phone camera ready, making sure I was ready to catch every sight and everything. From the high walls covered in God-knows-what, to the thick metal bars of the gate, to the way the trees curved inward, almost as if they were trying to keep something inside rather than keep people out.

I tilted my phone slightly, zooming in on the crest above the entrance. I had seen it before—on brochures, online, in the neighbors vlog—but now, seeing it in real life for like the millionth time sent a familiar strange feeling down my spine. It looked more worn out. And sometimes it made me wonder if someone actually lived there.

The bus in front of us came to a stop, waiting just outside the gate. Xinmei tapped her fingers against the steering wheel impatiently, and hummed a scattered sound.

A few minutes passed.

Then, finally, I heard the slow creaking of the gate, like something old and rusted was being forced apart.

I sat up straighter, angling my camera toward the gate, but I couldn’t see inside. The bus blocked everything, and no way was I getting out to check.

Xinmei’s tapping turned into drumming against the wheel. I glanced at her, noticing the way her brows had pulled together. She looked tense and impatient.

I raised an eyebrow. "From your body language, I’m going to guess you’ve heard scary shit about this place. So, as your friend, I’m just going to say this—it’s not too late to turn back, you can just hand me the car keys, I'll tell you how everything goes."

Her head snapped toward me, glaring hard, and—damn. That felt good.

She was always the one who riled people up, always the one with some snarky comment that got under your skin. So seeing her actually annoyed gave me joy.

"Shut up," she hissed.

I bit back a smirk.

"I don't why they're holding us for this long. I don't like the suspense," she muttered, tapping the wheel even harder. "We’ve been out here for eternity, and even after the gate seemed to open, we’re still not moving. Are they running a check or what?"

I shrugged, leaning back. "Or…" I dragged out the word, letting the suspense build. "They might be sucking their blood. You know, the rumors about vampires living here."

She groaned, throwing her head back against the seat. "You never have anything good to say. What is wrong with you?"

I turned to the window, watching the still-closed view ahead. "Careful," I said casually. "You’re gonna chip your nails if you keep hitting the wheel that hard."

Sge stared at me, then huffed out a breath, tossing her hair. "You’re the worst."

I smiled. "I know."

Soon, after what felt like a lifetime, the bus lurched forward.

The bus disappeared first, swallowed by the towering iron gates as they groaned open once more as of making space.

It was our turn. Xinmei drive to take over the space the bus had occupied.

A man in a casual fit, and a hat that's pulled low, walked up to my side, motioning for us to roll the window down.

Xinmei pressed a button and the windows rolled down. The man leaned slightly, his eyes scanning the interior, settling on us.

"You two the only ones?"

I nodded. "We’re with the school."

He glanced at the two men standing behind him, both in green jumpsuits. Who moved closer, their hand hiding in their pockets.

"Hope you don’t mind if the boys check around," the man said. "Security purposes."

Xinmei shook her head. "No problem."

We both got out, stepping a few feet away as the two men moved in, checking the seats, the trunk, even underneath the car.

Routine.

One of them finally nodded at the guy in charge.

He turned back to us. "All good. You can head in now."

Xinmei climbed in first, and I followed, settling into my seat, pulling the door shut.

The man gave a parting nod. "Hope you have a lovely stay."

She nodded a thanks and started the car.

The moment the tires rolled past the gate, I felt a twist in my chest that forced a groan out of my throat.

It was like we had crossed a threshold, like something had sealed itself behind us.

My chest felt tight, but not in an obvious that piercing way—it was more like a subtle pressure, like when you inhale something you shouldn't.

I frowned, and tried to shake off the pain and pulled out my phone again, ready to take a video. I wasn’t missing a single damn detail.

I lifted the camera up to my face level and suddenly a familiar force yanked me back so hard.

Like someone had grabbed me by the ribs and pulled.

I slammed into the seat, my entire body snapping backward so violently that for a second, I thought I was being pulled through the leather, through the suitcases, through the trunk and out of the car. I felt my lung flattened as I tried to cough out air but no sounds came.

So familiar, so so familiar it hurts. The uneasy feeling in my chest grew worse and the little air left in my almost squished lung left me in a rush, like something had just punched straight through my lungs and I would've believed it did of I saw it.

My eyes stung and myvision blurred.

A ringing filled my ears.

My fingers went weak.

And I felt nothing else besides my life almost slipping away.

I barely felt my phone slip from my grip, barely heard the soft thud as it hit the floor.

My head tipped forward, my chin barely holding itself up.

The world tilted.

And then everything went black. My eyes falling closed.